If Chaos Reigns: The Near-Disaster and Ultimate Triumph of the Allied Airborne Forces on D-Day, June 6, 1944

If Chaos Reigns: The Near-Disaster and Ultimate Triumph of the Allied Airborne Forces on D-Day, June 6, 1944

by Flint Whitlock
If Chaos Reigns: The Near-Disaster and Ultimate Triumph of the Allied Airborne Forces on D-Day, June 6, 1944

If Chaos Reigns: The Near-Disaster and Ultimate Triumph of the Allied Airborne Forces on D-Day, June 6, 1944

by Flint Whitlock

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Overview

“Gentlemen, do not be daunted if chaos reigns; it undoubtedly will.” So said Brigadier S. James Hill, commanding officer of the British 3rd Parachute Brigade, in an address to his troops shortly before the launching of Operation Overlord—the D-Day invasion of Normandy. No more prophetic words were ever spoken, for chaos indeed reigned on that day, and many more that followed.

Much has been written about the Allied invasion of France, but award-winning military historian Flint Whitlock has put together a unique package—the first history of the assault that concentrates exclusively on the activities of the American, British, and Canadian airborne forces that descended upon Normandy in the dark, pre-dawn hours of 6 June 1944. Landing into the midst of the unknown, the airborne troops found themselves fighting for their lives on every side in the very jaws of the German defenses, while striving to seize their own key objectives in advance of their seaborne comrades to come.

Whitlock details the formation, recruitment, training, and deployment of the Allies’ parachute and glider troops. First-person accounts by the veterans who were there—from paratroopers to glidermen to the pilots who flew them into the battle, as well as the commanders (Eisenhower, Taylor, Ridgway, Gavin, and more)—make for compelling, “you-are-there” reading. If Chaos Reigns is a fitting tribute to the men who rode the wind into battle and managed to pull victory out of confusion, chaos, and almost certain defeat.

Author/military historian Flint Whitlock graduated from the Army's Airborne School at Ft. Benning, GA, in 1965 and spent five years on active duty, including a combat tour in Vietnam. He is the author of nine books, six of which are about World War II, and is currently the editor of WWII Quarterly. He has appeared in documentaries on The History Channel and on the Fox Channel's "War Stories with Oliver North," and now lives in Denver, CO.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781612001524
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
Publication date: 01/30/2013
Edition description: Reprint
Pages: 400
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Flint Whitlock is a former U.S. Army officer who earned his Parachutist’s Badge at Fort Benning in 1965 and served five years on active duty, including a year in Vietnam. He is the author of several acclaimed, award-winning books of military history and dozens of magazine articles, and is the editor of WWII Quarterly. He lives in Denver, Colorado, with his wife, psychologist Dr. Mary Ann Watson.

Table of Contents

Foreword Martin K.A. Morgan vii

Preface xi

Introduction 1

Chapter 1 The Germans' Brilliant Idea 11

Chapter 2 Training a Brit Paratrooper 24

Chapter 3 America Joins the Fight 39

Chapter 4 Canada: Standing on Guard 45

Chapter 5 Getting Gliders Off the Ground 63

Chapter 6 The Germans on the Defensive 75

Chapter 7 The "All Americans" Prepare 80

Chapter 8 Pathfinders and Paradummies 86

Chapter 9 The British/Canadian Preparations 93

Chapter 10 The Sharpening of Knives 100

Chapter 11 The Decision to Go 117

Chapter 12 The British/Canadian Take-Off & Drop 135

Chapter 13 Target: Sainte-Mère-Église 141

Chapter 14 The Canadian Drop 150

Chapter 15 The 101st's Jump 155

Chapter 16 Shootout at the W-X-Y-Z Complex, the Fight for Brécourt Manor, and Other Skirmishes 174

Chapter 17 Battle for the Orne Bridges 192

Chapter 18 Disaster at the Merville Battery 203

Chapter 19 Securing Pegasus Bridge 219

Chapter 20 Death at the Château, Battle at the Crossroads 229

Chapter 21 Battle of Sainte-Mère-Église 241

Chapter 22 Coming in on a Wing and a Prayer 253

Chapter 23 Hell in the Hedgerows 264

Chapter 24 The Battle for Chef-du-Pont & La Fière Bridge 271

Chapter 25 D-Day Plus 1-And Beyond 285

Chapter 26 The Battle for Bréville 293

Chapter 27 Final Fight for La Fière 297

Chapter 28 The Battles for Carentan & Graignes 305

Epilogue 321

Acknowledgments 328

Sources 331

Bibliography 351

Index 364

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